Is there a way to insert an outboard channel strip so that I may dial in settings?

[pi-town]

I just purchased a UA LA-610 mk II and I am using it on my vocals. I am currently adjusting settings, performing/recording a section of my vocal and then listening back to hear how it sounds. Is there a way I could pre-record without any processing and then run the track back through the channel strip to make finding a setting I like a little easier? This is my first piece of outboard gear... I'm just not sure what type of signal I need to record and then run that back though the insert. I'm assuming that it would be line level?

[jeffro]

Yes, record it dry then use a Hardware Insert. Check out Hardware Inserts in Chapter 51 of the Ref Guide (specifically pg1151).

[DJ Hellfire]

Originally Posted by pi-town

I just purchased a UA LA-610 mk II and I am using it on my vocals. I am currently adjusting settings, performing/recording a section of my vocal and then listening back to hear how it sounds. Is there a way I could pre-record without any processing and then run the track back through the channel strip to make finding a setting I like a little easier? This is my first piece of outboard gear... I'm just not sure what type of signal I need to record and then run that back though the insert. I'm assuming that it would be line level?

Yes. If your interface has any available inputs and outputs not being used, you can use them to run the signal to the LA and back into Pro Tools. You can set it up as a standard output and input to another aux/audio track or as a hardware insert where you can insert it on your track like any plugin. Depends on how you want to do it.

[Darryl Ramm]

Are you using the preamp a d want to dial in its gain etc. or not? I’ll assume you are…

At least start with playing with a hardware insert, described in detail in the Pro Tools Reference guide. Get it working first driving through a straight out and back-in analog cable, then driving the line level input on the box, then (with attenuator) the mic input. For the mic input you will need to pull the level down, ideally driving through an attenuator and level reduction in Pro Tools, and because hardware inserts (like all inserts) on an audio track are pre-fader you just cannot pull the output levels down with the fader so you need to use clip gain or (more practically) a post-fader send, it a full bus output.

All info you need is in the Pro Tools reference guide.

But…

You already have recorded the signal through some mic and preamp which may have colored things.

What “microphone” impedance the channel strip sees might or might not matter. ProCo makes the LMX line level to mic level attenuator but I am not sure what impedance it is dividing through… maybe there are fancier attenuators/mic emulators (if anybody knows…) or time to build your own attenuator.

[pi-town]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Are you using the preamp a d want to dial in its gain etc. or not? I’ll assume you are…

At least start with playing with a hardware insert, described in detail in the Pro Tools Reference guide. Get it working first driving through a straight out and back-in analog cable, then driving the line level input on the box, then (with attenuator) the mic input. For the mic input you will need to pull the level down, ideally driving through an attenuator and level reduction in Pro Tools, and because hardware inserts (like all inserts) on an audio track are pre-fader you just cannot pull the output levels down with the fader so you need to use clip gain or (more practically) a post-fader send, it a full bus output.

All info you need is in the Pro Tools reference guide.

But…

You already have recorded the signal through some mic and preamp which may have colored things.

What “microphone” impedance the channel strip sees might or might not matter. ProCo makes the LMX line level to mic level attenuator but I am not sure what impedance it is dividing through… maybe there are fancier attenuators/mic emulators (if anybody knows…) or time to build your own attenuator.

That’s good to know! The pre section can definitely impart a lot of color and it would be nice to have a way to experiment with that. In the mean, since I don’t have an attenuator, I’m stuck with just using the hardware insert technique to experiment with EQ and Compression.

[albee1952]

You'll get differing opinions(which is fine) but I would track with the EQ flat, or with a gentle high boost(like +1.5 at 10K and -1.5 at 70 or 100). The low cut would only be if you work close to the mic(like 4" or less). You have tons of EQ options in the box, so you don't really need what's on the UA box. Getting the compressor in the right "zone" will be the tricky part, but err on the side of less than more. You can always add compression with plugins, but if you overdo it on the way in, you're stuck with it

Its a very good unit and should serve you nicely for vocals especially, but its also killer on bass.